good morning. tracking sandy. it's been downgraded to a tropical storm for now, but as the storm heads toward the east coast, experts warn it could rival the region's worst storm on record and wreak havoc for days. this morning, al roker has the latest on when sandy could make landfall. ten days to go with the race for the white house in the final stretch. president obama and mitt romney crisscross the country, hitting key battleground states. but will sandy put a damper on their campaigning? and he's bringing sorry back. just a week after he said i do, justin timberlake is saying "i apologize" to his fans. we'll tell you why. today is saturday, october 27th, 2012.

>> from nbc news, this is "today" with lester holt and andrea canning. live from studio 1-a in rockefeller plaza. good morning. welcome to "today" on a saturday morning. i'm lester holt. >> and i'm andrea canning. so happy to be here. thank you for having me. >> great to have you. you brought your umbrella, boots and maybe a boat. >> it's a big weekend. i love how you tell me you'll be living on granola bars the next few days. >> i'm in the middle of it. they say stock up on supplies. this could be a bad one. all eyes on this storm. >> all eyes on tropical storm sandy this morning as it slowly makes its way up the east coast. >> it was downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm. right now it's packing top sustained winds of about 70 miles per hour, just below hurricane strength, but experts say it could become a hurricane again in the coming days. >> here's the latest, five states and the district of

columbia have declared states of emergency. millions are being urged to stock up on supplies. >> here's why this is so frightening. it's expected to combine the elements of a trip call cyclone and a winter storm moving across from the west, giving it the potential to be quite devastating. widespread power outages and flooding are expected across huge areas. we'll get the latest on when it's set to make landfall from al roker in just a moment. and then we'll switch gears and look at the new details that are emerging about the emotional state of a new york city nanny accused of killing two of the children in her care. plus, some important new information this morning about women and smoking. a new study contains some fascinating new evidence about the damage it causes and the benefits of quitting. and later on, it seems even death hasn't stopped some top celebrities from earning millions of dollars this year. "forbes" is out with its annual list of the top names for you this year, may surprise you a little bit. let's start with tropical storm sandy. al roker is tracking the storm

from delaware. al, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, lester. it's a beautiful morning starting off here on the beach. lots of folks on the beach check out the surf that's starting to get a little angrier. but again, no sign of the devastation that we're expecting from sandy. in fact, earlier, it has caused already at least 40 deaths through caribbean, and now it's making a march toward the east. here's the latest on the system. right now, it is 350 miles southeast of charleston, south carolina, 70-mile-per-hour winds. it's moving north-northeast at ten miles per hour. tropical force winds extend out some 450 miles from the center of this storm. right now, we do have tropical storm warnings in effect for the northwestern bahamas, also parts of the florida coast. we're also looking at tropical storm warnings and watches along the carolina coast. we've got tropical storm warnings now from the south

santee river all the way up to cape hatteras and duck. we'll continue to see these warnings and watches issued as the day goes on. we're looking for storm surge out of this thing for the carolinas, anywhere from three to five feet, as you get to norfolk and the hampton bay area, about one to three feet. rainfall going to be a big problem out of this system, too. over the next 24 hours, from norfolk down to charleston, we could see anywhere from four to eight inches of rain. now let's look at the path of this system. right now, we expect it to regain strength later today on into late tonight and become a category 1 storm. it will continue to parallel the coast by sunday morning. by sunday afternoon, it's along the coast, cape hatteras, and then it gets ready to make a turn and come inland and make its way into the northeast somewhere, anywhere from new jersey to long island. now, why is it going to do this? this is really unusual. we have the steering currents in the upper atmosphere.

the jet stream and a deep trough digging down. as that trough starts to what we call negatively tilt, it is going to pull sandy closer in to the eastern seaboard, and that's where the trouble is going to begin. here's the other problem. when we look at these models, we look at the national hurricane center's path. we also look at the american computer model and the european computer model. the european is in the blue. look as it makes its away long the day on the coast. the european model brings it into new jersey. the american model brings it right into about new york city. either one is going to be bad for the northeast. but if it makes its way just south of new york, new york, one of the most populated areas in this country, if not the world. we're talking about a major storm surge and devastating winds. we're talking about hurricane force winds and anywhere from six to ten inches, 12 inches of rain. the effects of this, lester, could be devastating.

we'll continue to track this. >> that's quite a picture you paint there, al. thanks very much. dylan dreyer is going to have the rest of the nation's forecast coming up in a few minutes. but first, here's andrea. tropical storm sandy has already affected the race for the white house. governor mitt romney and vice president joe biden each cancelled planned weekend appearances in virginia. ron is traveling with mitt romney. >> reporter: all eyes on sandy, including these two presidential campaigns. over the next ten days, expect to see the president and governor romney hit these battleground states hard, including ohio, perhaps the most critical of them all. it could ultimately decide who wins this race. yesterday, governor romney held two events in the buckeye state, including a rousing rally with paul ryan last night in north canton, ohio. the campaign says about 8,000 people showed up for that event, braving some pretty brisk temperatures outside last night. now, he still has some work to do here. the latest cnn poll has the

president up 50 to 46, four points. that's about half of what the lead was just a few weeks ago. governor romney has chipped into that lead, but he still has some ways to go. for the president, he just wrapped up a 5,000-plus-mile barn storming tour. he took the day off the trail, spent a lot of time doing interviews on the radio and television, including mvp. he's trying to court that young vote that helped him win the white house four years ago. back to sandy, they have cancelled events in new hampshire and virginia. the president campaigns in new hampshire today. governor romney heads off to florida. >> joe and nika are here with "weekend mojo." president obama voted early. do you think that's going to play a role? >> early voting obviously very

important. we were talking about this earlier. the polls break a big way in early voting for the president. >> the engagement there so far appears to be for the president. there are other polls that you look at in terms of the direction of the economy, that you see mitt romney closing in. you see this thing heating up, and you get to a point where i'm not sure there's anyone who actually really knows, has a gut, has an absolute instinct as to what's going to happen. >> if you know what's going on right now, read dickens. it was the best of times, it was the worst of times. i can show you ten polls and you'll say there is no way barack obama is going to win. and ten other polls would say mitt romney is sunk. >> an associated press poll has him up 49 to 45 with women. do you think that maybe stemmed from the debate? he was a little more moderate in the debate? how is he picking up these female voters right now? >> i have no idea. >> you're asking the wrong person. >> i have no idea. and these debates over abortion

and these republican candidates who are just stepping in it on those issues, i think it's terrible timing for your party. at the same time, the polls show that mitt romney is actually gaining support among women. >> in a big way. >> i also think overall, it's still kind of convoluted enough where each side -- i can see -- the positive that i want to see, and why i think obama will win, he can probably see the other side. >> this is such a tight race. what do they need to do? what can they do at this point? >> president obama needs to close it. the past four years, he needs to be proud of his accomplishments. he needs to make sure that he makes very clear what he's done and also for critics like joe, what he intends to do. i think a lot of us feel like we know what he intends to do. he needs to say it. fair enough? >> fair enough. it's going to be close in all of these swing states. it's all about the get out the vote message. and the obama team have more contacts on the ground than any other campaign in u.s. history. they've got to use those contacts.

they're going to be making phone calls. they're going to be knocking on doors. mitt romney, on the other hand, he doesn't have that ground operation. he subbed it out to the rnc because he hasn't been president for four years. romney will be hoping for this momentum that swept from the first debate, to continue forward and carry him over the finish line. and it's momentum versus the obama ground game. and nobody -- and i mean nobody alive knows how this thing is going to end. >> thank you so much for joining us this morning. >> thank you. >> and you can catch "morning joe" weekdays at 6:00 a.m. on msnbc. now let's get the morning's other top stories from tom at the news desk. >> good morning, everyone. there's disturbing news today about that company under investigation in the meningitis outbreak. the food and drug administration says mold and bacteria were found on surfaces inside what were supposed to be sterile rooms at the new england

compounding center. sterilization equipment was covered with a greenish, yellow residue. the latest government report has 338 case of meningitis nationwide and 25 deaths. senate majority leader harry reid is in good condition this morning after a car accident. reid was in a six-car chain reaction car crash in las vegas friday. the senator suffered some bumps and bruises. he was treated and released from the hospital, as were some of his staff members. overseas now. 15-year-old activist malala yousafzai will return to pakistan, her father says. the family has been reunited in a birmingham, england, hospital. malala is expected to recover from gunshot wounds after an assassination attempt in pakistan two weeks ago. back here in the states, lady liberty is getting her crown back in a grand reopening tomorrow morning, weather-permitting. time lapse photography shows the yearlong construction that will be finished in time for the lady's 126th birthday. visitors will climb a new set of stairs inside a newly

air-conditioned statue to reach the crown. that's the news. there is a little bit of drama. lady liberty has her new crown. just got a nip and tuck. she says everyone in new york is talking about this other character sandy and she doesn't know why. >> she's staying stop. >> who hasn't had plastic surgery these days? dylan dreyer is here with a check of the rest of the nation's forecast. >> the rest of the country is dealing with a cold front, that same cold front that's kind of the steering current that's going to draw in sandy as we go into monday. you will see some showers across the eastern great lakes. the middle of the country much cooler than normal. >> what a beautiful picture. this is what sunrise looked like this morning over the city. we have a of scattering of clouds. mostly cloudy skies today, shower towards

>> and that's your latest weather. andrea? and now health news. we've known for decades smoking is bad for you. but now the biggest study ever about the risk for smoking for women shows just how important it is to quit. the latest from robert bazell. >> reporter: 28-year-old amanda garcia just joined a program to try to quit her smoke a day smoking pattern. a smoker since age 15. she always thought about quitting. >> i don't think i was ever ready. i always said i'm not doing it until i'm ready. >> reporter: researchers in britain followed one million women now in their 60s and 70s for 12 years. smoking a pack a day starting in their teens, reduced life expectancy by an average of 11

years. tripling the chances of a premature death. a number even higher than the risk for men. >> if you're a smoker for your whole life, the chances that you'll die directly from your smoke rg greater than the chances of dying from everything else put together. >> reporter: the study found that even women who smoked a few cigarettes a day doubled their chances of dying younger. but the nude from the study is not all bad. it reinforces the idea that if you quit, it reduces the risk, and the sooner the better. the research finds that if a woman who starts smoking as a teen quits before age 40, her increased chances of dying drop by 90%. even if a woman stops by age 50, her extra risk drops by 66%. for garcia and others 30 or younger who manage to quick, their excess risk disappears almost completely. garcia's main reason for trying to quit now, her two kids. >> my kids mean everything to me. and i want to be there for them. >> reporter: and she knows she has a far greater chance to be

there by kicking the habit. for "today," robert bazell, nbc news, new york. >> and now here's lester. you ever wanted to quit your job in dramatic fashion? greg smith did it. he wrote a "new york times" op ed back in march that rocked the financial world. it was called "why i am leaving goldman sachs." he described in gripping detail what he called the toxic environment at goldman, one that encouraged taking advantage of its clients. his book is now in stores. greg, good morning. thanks for coming on. >> good morning. thanks for having me. >> in the book, you frame the leadership of goldman sachs as having made a choice between profit and reputation. when did they make that swing? >> as your viewers will know, earlier in the decade, there were a lot of things that were deregulated like complicated derivatives. it got to the point where banks saw they could make more money using their client information to bet for themselves as opposed to facilitating for a client business. ultimately by the time i left

for firm, three quarters of the money was being made in the training business, as opposed to the original reason for wall street, which is helping companies raise money and merging. it's been a real revenue shift and also a behavior shift where taking advantage of clients has become the norm. >> what you write about are ethics issues, not really legal issues, per se. >> that's the great irony of the crisis. people question why has no one gone to jail for what happened in 2008. the truth is it's actually legal, it's just highly unethical. the idea of ripping off a teacher's retirement fund or selling global charity, or betting against clients. while they're morally, highly dubious, they're actually legal. so what i'm advocating is we actually need to make these things illegal so people will go to jail for these things. >> some of the things you write about are playing both sides of the fence. working a deal on both sides. again, not -- there's no crime here. >> no. and there should be.

when one bank is on all sides of a deal and using their client information to bet against them -- i use the example of a casino. if you're a casino and you can see everyone's cards in the casino, are you ever going to lose? probably not. there are some banks that go an entire 90 days in a row and make money every single day and it's purely for this reason, they can see everyone's cards. >> did you want to hurt gold man sacks? >> no, i'm of wall street. i've been on wall street my entire career. there's a group of people that wanted to be more sustainable. this idea of take the money and run is not a very good way for a company to last. >> why write this unless you want to hurt them? and the next follow-up question is did you hurt them? >> i wrote this book because after the op ed, i got thousands of messages from people, and there are two reasons i wrote it. goldman is a very mysterious place. i wrote this book for people who are not on wall street who want to understand what are the good parts and the bad parts. my idea with writing this op ed is to make goldman a better

firm, a firm that does not have to settle half a billion lawsuit. >> well, they claim they looked at a lot of your allegations and they released a statement, mr. smith's op-ed portrayed a firm that is unrecognizable to us and directly opposite to the culture we work hard to foster, but we took his claims seriously and conducted a thorough review of them. that review found no evidence to support his claims, but did find that mr. smith appeared to be frustrated about his career. so they say we looked at ourselves, we're clean. >> i would say clients are being called muppets and goldman sachs said we look for the word muppet. calling someone a muppet is not bad in itself. the reason you're calling them a mup set the bad thing. when a police officer's pungs fund is ripped off. i guarantee you, if your viewers read this book, they'll think this behavior is egregious. unfortunately, wall street has become so cynical that these

practices are almost accepted. i would say i hope people read the book to get an understanding of what really goes on on wall street. >> you've opened up quite a conversation. greg smith, thanks for being here. the book is called "why i left goldman sachs." once again, here's andrea. lance armstrong has had a very tough couple of weeks, following the release of a scathing report calling him a doper. his seven tour de france victories erased, dropped by sponsors, resigning as head of live strong, and now two women who tried to expose him as a cheater are speaking out. they sat down with harry smith to set the record straight. >> reporter: lance used a number words to describe you over the years. do you remember some of them? >> unhinged. crazy. ugly. fat. obsessed. jealous. hateful. vindictive. but he never called me a liar.

he never called me a liar. >> reporter: we met betsy near her hometown in michigan. she was once part of lance armstrong's inner circle. her husband frankie was one of armstrong's teammates and one of his best friends. when you found out lance had cancer, what was your reaction? >> disbelief. it was unbelievable that an athlete so young, somebody in such good shape had cancer. and there was a great sorrow there as well. >> reporter: during one hospital visit, she heard something she knew she could never forget. >> doctors began to ask lance a few banal questions and then boom, have you ever used any performance-enhancing drugs? and lance, holding his iv nonchalantly rattled off yes, steroids, testosterone, growth hormone, epo, cortisone. my eyes popped out of my head. frankie saw that i was upset.

and he excused ourselves and we left. >> reporter: lance was deposed in a civil lawsuit. he denied betsy's account of the incident in the hospital room. >> absolutely not. >> okay. . >> it didn't happen. >> reporter: a world away in a village in manchester england lives another woman who knew too much about armstrong. for four years starting before his won his first tour de france, irish born emma o'reilly was with armstrong's racing team, she cooked, washed clothes and gave massages to the exhausted cyclists. one of the things lance has said so often is i've never had a positive drug test, but he did test positive for cortisone at one point. you're in the circle as the conversation is going on as to what to do about it. what did lance say he wanted to do? >> well, what was agreed to do was the obvious thing, the only

thing, back date the prescription, so that the prescription tech anily started before the tour started so that he had already been taking cortisone. >> reporter: and people bought it. >> people bought it. there's a certain irony, because he failed the first drug test he took at the prologue, at the start of the first of the seven tour de frances. if people had been looking for the truth and prepared to listen to the truth then, it all could have stopped then. myself and betsy, we were kind of the unattractive face, if that makes sense, because the whole seven-time tour de france winner, that's much, much more attractive to look at than two women saying there's doping, drugs, people are dying. what would you prefer to watch? the cyclists in france, or two women saying there's drugs in

cycling? >> reporter: two crazy women. >> two crazy women. >> he also mentioned that emma o'reilly was paid $10,000 for her work on a book detailing her accusations, and we're back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc.

still ahead, the war in the store. local retailers fighting back against online stores. >> plus, one family, two generations hit hard by breast cancer. they'll join us live. >> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning, everyone, i'm lisa robinson. it's 7:25. before we look at our top check in with meteorologist john collins and,

john, we heard that sandy is downgraded to a tropical storm. what can we expect? >> we can still expect the same swaying, it's just a difference of five to 10 miles an hour as far as wind strengths are concerned. right now let's give you the temperature. at b.w.i. marshall with generally cloudy skies, the temperature is 58 degrees. 90% the humidity, and northeast wind at 6 and barometric pressure is down from yesterday, the storm is getting closer. 29.98. if the radar is available, there it is. we can see, not all the storm is showing up here. a lot of of the rain is out of range of the radar but you can see the expansive rain running from the center of the storm up coast, carolina to near cape hatteras. we already have the front to the west of us, as well, so we are between systems at this stage of the game. let's look at the forecast for

today, we expect the clouds to move in, the cold front to stay west of us during the day today and high temperature with a rain chance late in the day in the 60's. >> thanks john, we are back in a moment.

beep-bop-boop-bop boop-beep. [monotone] she says, "switch to progressive and you could save hundreds." call or click today. >> a state of emergency is already declared in maryland ahead of tropical storm sandy. today, governor o'malley urged residents to act now before the storm hits. >> there is going to be a period

of having to ride this out so every family needs to be their own emergency management director. make sure that you have the flashlights, the radio, the ability to ride out what will probably be a very dangerous storm with heavy winds, lots of downed trees and also lots and lots of water as this thing rolls through our vicinity. >> the state of emergency declaration also gives the governor the authority to deploy the maryland national guard to assist in recovery efforts. area school systems are making plans for tropical storm sandy. annapolis high school is set up as an emergency shelter for residents who could be displaced by the storm. the district is also trying to protect key information on its computer system in case of a power outage and school officials across the state are monitoring the storm for possible closings. they plan to use the internet and automated telephone systems to get the word out to parents.

thanks for joining us. you are looking at what is now tropical storm sandy. the massive storm set to hit somewhere in the northeast late monday into tuesday. a lot of people guessing. some forecasters say they haven't seen anything like it. we'll get the latest as rez den -- residents brace for the worst. >> somewhere in the east coast. i was supposed to be in virginia tomorrow. >> my husband says that all the windows might be smashed out of our house. thanks for making me feel good about it. meantime, we're happy to have all these nice people here on a saturday morning, october 27th, 2012. with the storm approaching, they're not going to want to be outside in a couple days, that's for sure.

>> and we're here -- andrea canning here with us. coming up, one family's fight with breast cancer. seven women in two generations have been affected by the disease. they've got 12 surgeries between them and they're not done yet. this morning five of them will join us to talk about the battle that they're facing together. plus, it's not even halloween yet, but big retailers are gearing up for holiday shoppers. their challenge, how to keep you from browsing in the store but buying online. coming up, what they're doing to win your business. and later, the year's top earning dead celebrities. you might be surprised to find out who tops the list. but we begin this half-hour with a scandal in britain. for decades, jimmy savo was a huge star in british television. a year after he died, hundreds of people have come forward to claim he was also a sexual predator. it's causing a scandal for the bbc, one of britain's most respected news organization. more now from annabel roberts in london.

>> reporter: for 20 years, the children's show was a highlight of saturday night family tv on the bbc. he was an eccentric, a british institution, a tease with royalty, a much loved part of the establishment. even blessed by the pope. but now british police say some 300 people have come forward claiming he was a pedophile who abused them during his 60-year broadcasting career. a cub scout who appeared on his show when he was 9 told the bbc how he was allegedly abused. >> he put his hand on my knee and started touching me, and then at the same time, he grabbed my hand and forced my hand on top of his trousers. i was absolutely petrified. >> reporter: when confronted six years ago, he denied being an abuser. >> i'm very boring. i don't do drugs. i don't do any of them things.

>> reporter: he died last year at the age of 85 and was mourned as a national treasure. he had raised more than $60 million for charity, much of it for hospitals where he was allowed unsupervised visits. the victims claim he used this privilege to abuse them. >> reporter: some of the victims claim it took place on bbc premises. this woman claimed he put his hand up her skirt on a live broadcast in front of millions of viewers. last year, bbc journalists working on a report about the allegation were told unexpectedly by their bosses to stop. then a month later, a glowing tribute program about his life was broadcast, which has raised awkward questions for the bbc. the new chief executive of "the new york times" mark thompson ran the bbc at this time. there's no evidence he was involved, but he may be questioned. >> so if i can help in any way with those inchoquiries, i will

so. >> jimmy was knighted at buckingham palace, but as authorities investigate 300 allegations of aburabuse, his reputation has tumbled. let's get another check of the weather now. >> dylan dreyer is on the plaza with an update on tropical storm sandy. good morning. >> we are keeping an eye on sandy. obviously affecting the carolinas. i found some fine folks here from south carolina. who do you want to say hi to? >> we want to say hi to all of our patients and our friends in anderson, california, with hospice of the state, and by two grandsons, alex and dillon. >> squeeze everybody in. >> family, friends, everybody. mostly our patients. they're watching. >> wonderful. good morning to all them. hello out there in south carolina. you know, we are keeping an eye on sandy, of course. but we also have a huge temperature contrast from the way it has been. look at the 30s, the 40s, all working down, even into

oklahoma, back into kansas. we are going to see that cooler air hold strong up through the dakotas as well, and across the east coast, we're actually enjoying temperatures in the 50s and 60s. so it's not going to be too cold. but we are watching that cold front produce some showers down into ohio as well. >> the squeeze play will be evident on the weather map today. front from the west, sandy from the south and the forecast for today, a lot of clouds, rain holds off until the end of the also this weekend, it's saturday. that means tomorrow is sunday. we're look at "sunday night

football" night in america. the new orleans sanints taking n the denver broncos. perfect football weather. 49 to 53 degrees. can't beat that. of course, you can always get your forecast, if you can't on tv, online at weather.com. lester? still ahead, we'll meet five women from one family, each affected by breast cancer. we'll talk to them about their treatment, how they're getting through it. but first, these messages. ♪ threemendous. ♪ threemendous. [ male announcer ] say hello to mcdonald's new... [ basketball announcer ] threemendous! [ male announcer ] cbo. smooth cheddar, crispy bacon, grilled onions on the angus third pounder or premium chicken sandwiches. cbo... the simple joy of... threemendous. yeeeah.

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breast cancer awareness month is winding down, but for one family in houston, the disease is always on their minds. every woman in the smith family has been affected. even after three diagnoses and 12 surgeries, they are not ready to give up. >> my name is toni smith, i was diagnosed with breast cancer june, 28. >> my name is mary smith-johnson. i am toni's baby sister that has chosen to have an elective double mastectomy to be preventative. >> i'm toni's first cousin. i was diagnosed with breast cancer in july of 2004. >> one family, two generations, seven women. their lives forever changed by breast cancer. carla's mother lena the first to lose her battle to the disease 32 years ago. >> the hardest moment was when i

found out that i had it. and i was wondering why. because of losing my mother when i was 7. >> there have been three positive diagnoses in this family. >> my eldest sister has already had a double mastectomy and a breast reconstruction. she and my mom went in on the same day. >> reporter: earlier this year, another devastating diagnosis. triple negative breast cancer found in toni's mom connie. >> it grows very quickly. this is a particular type of cancer which in young african-american women is often lethal. >> reporter: it's why carla fears for her 16-year-old daughter epiphany. >> reporter: i'm very worried for my daughter. >> i see them as survivors. so if they can do it, i can do

it, too. >> i don't want my nephews or nieces seeing cancer and think it's something to be afraid of. i want think to think of cancer and look at us and say they made it through. >> reporter: today they continue to draw strength from each other and the path. >> as far as my aunt lena passing, that's who i want to be like when i grow up. yeah, because i always saw her strength. and her strength reminded me of everything that we always went through. >> strong women. toni, mary, carla, connie are all here this morn. my own mother died of breast cancer about six years ago, and i have three little girls, so my heart really goes out to all of you. there's only five of you here today. your mother is undergoing surgery next week. can you tell us a little bit about how she's doing and her story right now? >> she's doing fine. she's the strength, she's the backbone of the family. so that's -- we get our strength

from her. she's been preparing for her surgery next wednesday. so she's resting right now. and getting prepared for it. >> we wish her all the best. mary, you opted for the double mastectomy and the hysterectomy, even though you didn't test positive for the gene. >> correct. >> why go through all that if you aren't even sure what the future holds? >> with my family history, i have two people in my family diagnosed recently. the risk factors are so large. i'm doing it preventatively so i can see zoe grow up. >> isn't that what it's all about? just making sure you see your kids, right? >> exactly. >> lena, you're doing the same. why for you? did you feel like putting your body through this when you're not sure. >> i'm doing it because of the risk factors that are within my family are hereditary and i wanted to be proactive to show

other individuals out there that they can do it, too. >> it must really put your mind at ease too because you're not thinking every day, is today the day. >> it does. our family didn't know 30 years ago that we should have done the analysis. it doesn't you if you have cancer, but it will tell you your inherent disease options and it gives your doctor a chance to be preventive, as opposed to chemo and surgeries. >> how has this bonded you all as a family? >> i'm the oldest. in the beginning -- >> you've got a big job. >> yes. it was very hard for us when we found out about carla and we found out bowabout toni. but i think the surgery itself made us so close. all our sisters took off for like 30 days and stayed at the hospital with me and my mom and they came to the hospital and they did everything that we did with toni.

we all just shut down because we had no choice. >> it must feel good having each other. >> the support is there. it is. i really appreciate that they are there for me. we have always been a large family and we've always been supportive of each other and we're going to stay that way. >> well, again, i'm so glad you have each other and we wish your mother all the best next week. thank you so much for joining us. you are strong women. thank you. and up next, the shopping wars. brick-and-mortar retailers go on the offensive against their online rivals this holiday season. what this means for you right after this. for meat! [ cat 2 ] do i look like i'm stalking plants? [ male announcer ] most dry foods add plant protein, like gluten but iams never adds gluten. iams adds 50% more animal protein, [ cat 3 ] look at this body! under this shiny coat is a lean, mean purring machine [ cat 4 ] i am too! hahahaha! [ male announcer ] iams. with 50% more animal protein. [ cat 5 ] yum! [ cat 1 ] i'm an iams cat. feed me what i'm born to eat. meow.

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nearly half of all holiday shoppers will make an online purchase this year. that poses a bit of a challenge for the traditional brick-and-mortar merchants. many big name retailers are upping the ante to ensure in-store traffic. >> reporter: trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to -- shop for? forget the candy and costumes. ♪ it's beginning to look a lot like christmas ♪ >> reporter: the season of giving is already here. yes, in october. brick-and-mortar retailers and their online competitors have their game plans set and are ready to lure you in right now. where are you going to do your holiday shopping, in a store or online? >> both. >> in stores. >> reporter: why? >> because i like to look at the selection. >> most of us look online.

>> consumers are a little bit more optimistic than a year ago. much more optimistic than a few years ago. we believe that online will continue to post double digit growth year over year. >> reporter: for web giants like amazon.com with less overhead than the traditional retailers, low prices and free shipping keep the buyers at home shopping for gifts. another challenge for retailers, something called showrooming, where a customer will come into a store, see a physical item like this helicopter to see if it works, and then go online and buy it somewhere maybe a little bit cheaper. the good news for you to, combat showrooming, retailers like best buy, target, and walmart will all price match select online competitors this holiday season. >> you've got someone in store. you don't want them to walk away and lose the sale. >> places like macy's are taking another approach. just take a look at the classic "miracle on 34th street." >> the only important thing is to make the children happy, whether macy's or somebody else

sells toy, doesn't make any difference. >> reporter: so they're teaming up with somebody else. >> we're offering hot toy rez r reservati reservation. >> reporter: the top three tact tactics, combining social media and smart phones, exclusive brands, and exclusive events and activities only offered in the store. activities that will no doubt put the happy in the holidays for many consumers. just ahead here on "today," we're tracking sandy's path as it heads up and toward the east coast. al roker is in the path of storm. he'll have a live report for us. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning, everyone, i'm jennifer franciotti. the time is 7:55. area school systems making plans for hurricane sandy. annapolis high school is set up

as an emergency shelter for residents who could be displaced by the storm. the district is trying to protect key information on its computer system in case of a power outage. >> can damage the equipment so we're going to shut everything down, the school servers and computers in the schools down this afternoon after school is ou to protect that and we'll leave all of our main systems up tonight so we can do all the backups and get everything preserved. >> school officials across the state are monitoring the storm for possible closings and plan to use the internet and automated telephone systems to get word out to parents as soon as a decision is made. in other news, police have issued an arrest warrant for the mother of one of the two boys who admitted responsibility in the shooting death of monae turnage. veronica alford faces several charges. police say turnage was shot death inside of an east baltimore home in march. her body was found the next day in an alley beneath trash bags.

d.n.a. indicates alford helped move the body to cover the crime. miscommunicateed is how detectives are describing the story of a woman who says she was assaulted on the campus of notre dame university. the 19-year-old student told police she was approached by a stranger as she left the library. school officials increased patrols all week as a precaution but authorities want residents to know there is no threat to the campus and neighboring communities. we are back in a moment with a

>> good morning. some thin clouds are beginning to drift interest your area, coming off of sandy as it begins to push farther north. the closest range are around cape hatteras, a ways away before we see anything like that and we have a front to the west trying to come in. we are between the systems now. the front will stall and rains will creep northward but high pressure at the moment giving us east winds and suppressing that storm to the south. here's the forecast for day today. mix of sun and clouds but generally favors the clouds especially at the end of the day. we might pick up a shower at the end of the day. most of the day, daylight hours, be nice. 64 to 69, the high. east-northeast winds at 5 to 10 miles an hour. seven-day forecast, periods of rain showers on sunday but heaviest stuff expected especially monday afternoon through monday night into tuesday morning where we get the strongest winds and heaviest rains. by tuesday, only in the 40's for highs.

>> thanks, john. thanks for joining us. we will have another update at 8:25. you're looking at the waves pounding the shore at nags head, north carolina this morning, thanks to the leading edge of what's now tropical storm sandy. the storm is a major threat to portions of the mid-atlantic and northeast. it's packing top sustained winds from about 70 miles per hour. but it could regain hurricane strength in the coming days as it heads up to our area. welcome back to "today," saturday morning, the 27th day of october, 2012. nice crowd on the plaza stopping by to wave hello to friends and family back home. our thanks to them for spending part of their saturday with us. we're going to join them a bit later on. meantime, inside studio 1a, i'm lester holt with andrea canning.

>> i saw this graphic reenactment of the storm if it were to hit new york city at its worst and i was terrified. >> we're about, what, ten feet above sea level? we're vulnerable. >> they always try to scare you in the news, right? >> that's us. >> here is the latest on tropical storm sandy. five states and the district of columbia have declared states of emergency. millions of people in the path of the storm are being urged to stock up on supplies because sandy is such a massive storm, widespread power outages, and flooding are expected. we'll get the latest on when it's set to make landfall from al roker. there he is. in just a moment. plus, we're just over a week away from election day. candidates are trying to make their case to voters, especially in those crucial battleground states. what are both candidates focusing on during the home stretch? we're live from the campaign trail with more on that. and then, the latest on that horrible crime here in new york city. two children knived to death by their unanimousnanny.

this morning, new information about the pressures she was facing in her own life. justin timberlake has been married for a week. already he's saying i'm sorry. >> i'm curious about that one. but we begin this hour with hurricane sandy. al roker is tracking the storm's path. al, good morning. >> good morning, andrea, lester. and of course, as you mentioned, hurricane sandy now back up to hurricane strength. the winds fou are at 75 miles per hour. we'll give you all the stats coming up. but as we've seen already, it's caused massive destruction in its path. this one looks like it's going to be one for the record books. it's threatening to be one of the worst storms to hit the northeast in decades. tropical storm sandy now barreling toward the east coast bringing with it gail force winds, chances of flooding, heavy rain, and even possibly snow. the storm already slamming into cuba, cutting power, toppling

trees. in the bahamas, winds sent ocean waters into the streets, causing extensive coastal flooding. at least 40 people are dead across haiti, cuba and jamaica. those scenes of destruction are causing people along the east coast to make some last-minute preparations. >> have enough food and water for everyone in your household. >> as states of emergency have already been declared across five states and washington, d.c. in new york state, governor cuomo reminding residents about that surprise halloween storm that left thousands without power for days. >> remember what we went through last year. it's common sense precaution. going to be high winds and rain. it would be a good idea if you're going shopping to get some extra supplies so you don't have to leave the house in the beginning of the week next week. >> new york city mayor mike bloomberg urging all households to prepare an emergency kit. >> you should have drinking water, first aid kit, flashlight, so be prepared for possible outage. >> in norfolk, virginia, the navy sending their ships out to sea as a precautionary measure.

while in new jersey, where many computer models are predicting a direct hit, beach residents are filling sandbags and rushing to close rides and stands that usually take weeks to shut down. >> it is all hands on deck thing, just everybody pitching in to make sure we can get everything taken care of before the storm hits. >> all right, let's see where we're going with this system. right now, as we said, it is hurricane sandy, and the winds currently 75 miles per hour. we're about 335 miles southeast of charleston. it's moving north, northeast at ten miles per hour. the tropical force winds extend out some 450 miles from the center of this storm, so it is a massive storm. here are the advisories we have right now. we've got hurricane warnings. the storm surge we're talking about right now anywhere from three to five feet later on today from wilmington, all the way up through cape hatteras, a little bit less of a surge as you get into the norfolk,

hampton bay area. some areas up to a foot along the coastal carolinas. the path of the storm will bring it up parallel to the coast through today as it's now a category 1 storm. it continues to make that path along the coast, through tomorrow night. then what happens is we're going to see basically a turn to the left and it come on shore somewhere, anywhere between the dell marva peninsula and long island, new york. we have two models that show which way this system could go. the american model and the european model. the difference between the two systems, we're talking about a couple money miles. the american system coming on shore in new york. the european model in new jersey. either way, it's going to mean massive problems for the northeast from washington, d.c. all the way up into new england, and inland, once it gets inland, this is not just a coastal

event. it's an inland event as well. tropical storm irene caused more damage inland. this system could dump up to a foot of snow. parts of west virginia, ohio, on into pennsylvania. so andrea, this one is going to be a massive, massive problem probably for days to come. >> all right, al. thank you, and stay safe. dylan dreyer will be here with the rest of the nation's forecast in just a few minutes. hurricane sandy is already impacting the race for the white house. mitt romney and vice president joe biden each cancelled planned weekend appearances in virginia. ron mott is in ohio, he's traveling with vice presidential candidate paul ryan. ron, good morning. >> reporter: it takes 270 electoral votes to win the white house. 18 votes are up for grabs in ohio and they just may be the most important votes of all. along with the weather churning over the atlanta, president obama and mitt romney are

whipping up a storm of their own, a campaign blizzard. >> thank you so much! >> reporter: as election day looms just ten days away. friday, a day after voting early himself, mr. obama hit the airwaves, giving a flurry of interviews, including mtv, where he courted younger voters. >> i believe in an america where we grow when everybody's got a shot. that's the america that allowed me to sit in this place and that's the america i want to recreate for the next generation. >> god bless iowa. >> reporter: meanwhile, governor mitt romney spent his day in two battlegrounds, iowa and ohio, rallying last night with paul ryan, who got a hollywood introduction from tv star patricia heaton. >> i have to tell you, backstage, i didn't recognize him his shirt on. >> reporter: in the waning days, the war of words is growing more intense. >> it's time to have a president and vice president who care more about the people than they care about politics. >> reporter: the president seemingly referring to his opponent as a bs-er to "rolling

stone" magazine, questioning why republican colin powell endorsing obama. >> i applaud colin for standing with him. >> reporter: he later said he doesn't doubt powell's motive was policy-related. back on the trail, many eyes are focused on ohio, where the president has maintained the lead in the polls as the make or break vote. >> if we don't win ohio, it's tough to see us winning the election nationally. >> reporter: but the fight for key votes runs through more than just ohio. florida, virginia, colorado, and nevada are also being vigorously contested by both men, evidenced by recent trips and now the watch is on to see how sandy factors into the stretch run, already nixing campaign events in virginia for governor romney and vice president biden this weekend and a new hampshire stop for the first lady early next week. governor romney campaigns today in florida with senator marco rubio. paul ryan will hold a rally here and then embark on a two-day,

400-mile bus tour for ohio this weekend. the president will campaign later today in new hampshire. karen finney is a former communications director for the democratic national committee. steve schmidt is also an msnbc political analyst. he was the senior campaign strategist for the 2008 mccain campaign. good morning to both of you. thanks for coming on. >> good morning. >> steve, let me start with you. ohio has been called this year's florida. if you're looking at the numbers, you're the romney campaign, are you worried about ohio right now in a big way? >> if you're the romney campaign, you know you have to win ohio. that's why you'll see so much time spent by governor romney, by congressman ryan in ohio over the next week. it's a very close race. before the debate, denver -- this race was out of reach in ohio for governor romney. now it's a very close race. it's anywhere from president obama with a very, very slight lead to just about an even race in ohio. so it's going to come down to

the wire. >> and karen, when you break down the ohio numbers further, it's interesting when you look at those who will vote early, the obama folks went about six out of ten early voters, but losing those who say they're going to vote on election day, 44 to 51, romney with 51. what's the story there? is it potentially that the obama campaign is peaking too early with the early vote snerl larly? >> i don't think so. i think that's great spin from the romney campaign. here's the thing to remember, actually. early voters tend to be what we call sporadic voters. it's a different universe than those who actually vote on election day. they're people who don't necessarily vote in any election, presidential, midterm, you know it. so by targeting the sporadic voters to get them out to vote early, you're actually expanding the universe of voters. so some of these polls that are suggesting that some of these folks -- there may be a difference on election day

versus the early vote, it's actually two different universes of voters. obviously it's a smart strategy, particularly with the storms coming, for people to get out there and vote early in those state where is they can. >> steve, let me ask you about some of the comments that have become distractions in this campaign, but it made a lot of news. the republican candidate with his now infamous rape comments. and we just heard a romney surrogate suggesting that colin powell's endorsement may be racially motivated. do these things affect vote sners. >> they may affect undecided voters, but i think it's unlikely because we're so close to the election and the issues are so big. i think murdock's questions could well cost republicans a u.s. senate seat in indiana, but i don't think they're going to have an impact on the presidential race. those aren't mitt romney's views. i think john has said a number of controversial things. but i put that in the same category as the president

calling his opponent a bs-er in "rolling stone" or some of the other over the top comments. >> thanks both of you for coming on this morning. a brief program note. tomorrow, i'll be reporting from virginia on how the election is shaping up in that key battleground state. i'll also probably be getting wet as we cover hurricane sandy. once again, here's andrea. now to a heartbreaking story that has touched families across the country and our own here at nbc. a new york city nanny allegedly killed two young children in her care. mara has more from manhattan's upper west side. >> reporter: the makeshift memorial continues to grow as people around this community continue to espress their sadness over this horrifying crime. the nanny at the center of the tragedy remains in the hospital and she's unable to speak or answer any questions, but police say she had been facing financial problems and was seeking professional help.

police have yet to speak with the 50-year-old nanny they say fatally stabbed two children in her care on thursday, 6-year-old lulu and 2-year-old leo. the children were discovered by their mother, who returned home with her 3-year-old daughter after a swim lesson shortly after 5:30 p.m. their father, kevin, an executive with cnbc, was given the devastating news after he returned from a business trip later that evening. >> we are still in the process of going through the apartment, also the purse of this woman. >> reporter: authorities say ortega had no history of violence and lived with her son and other family members at a nearby manhattan neighborhood. >> she has been employed by the family for approximately two years. she was referred to them by another family. >> reporter: by all accounts, the family knew their sitter

well. even visiting ortega's relatives in her native dominican republic. with over 60% of the nation's children cared for by people other than their parents, this story hits home for families and care givers everywhere. >> i don't know what this mother is going through right now. i'm a mother, too. >> at some point as a mother and a nanny, you tend to develop a bond with the kids that you take care of. >> we rely on other people to help us and we trust them and treat them le family. we need them. >> reporter: across the country and around the world, many express their sadness online as well, writing "i have felt sick to my stomach and on the verge of tears all day." "this story haunts me to the core." experts say horrific crimes like this are rare, but still, they leave parents questioning the safety of their own children. >> when something like this happens, every parent questions

themselves and says am i doing anything that places my child at risk? is there anything i could be doing better to make sure that they are okay? >> reporter: police say ortega is a u.s. citizen who has been in the country for ten years. she has not yet been charged. andrea? >> makes you want to hug your kids just a little bit tighter. thanks for that report. it is time now for the rest of the morning's headlines. we turn to tom at the news desk for that. >> good morning, everyone. there's new word now what was going on at that company under investigation in the meningitis outbreak. federal investigators say mold, bacteria, and a greenish, yellowish residue were all found in areas of the new england compound center that were supposed to be sterile. the last government report has 338 cases of meningitis nationwide and 25 deaths. senate majority leader harry reid is in good condition this morning after a car accident. reid was in a six-car chain

reaction car crash in las vegas friday. the senator suffered bumps and bruises. he was treated and released from a hospital as were some of his staff members. police in kennebunk maine have released 18 new names in the zumba scandal. they come from maine, new hampshire, and boston. dance instructor alexis wright has been carjacked with using zumba lessons as a front for prostitution. police say she secretly videotaped sexual encounters and her client list contains many prominent names. new evidence is out about the risk of smoking in. the largest study ever done, british researchers followed one million women smokers for a dozen years. they found that those women were twice as likely to die younger and their life expectancy is 11 years shorter. and a mystery is brewing on the internet about an amazing football highlight. check this out. a video from a high school scrimmage shows a running backfliping right over a tackler and landing on his feet and running it in for a touchdown.

sports reporters have been unable to track down the game or who made the fabulous flip. but internet commentators are saying who cares? it is awesome. it is. that's the news. now back to dylan out on the plaza. >> sandy getting a lot of attention now that it's back up to a hurricane. it is producing some outer bands across the east coast of the carolinas, but elsewhere across the country, we are talk about some chilly temperatures. 30s in the northern plains. 50s in the plains. texas even on the cool side with highs only in the 50s with some showers today across the eastern >> what a beautiful picture. this is what sunrise looked like this morning over the city. we have a of scattering of clouds. mostly cloudy skies today, shower towards

people from all countries here on the plaza. andrea? >> love it, dylan. thanks. there is still more to come. the have that has justin timberlake apologizing. we'll have the story. but next, even the liveliest celebrities are no match for them. find out which deceased stars raked in the most money last year right after these messages. ♪

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we always hear about how much celebrities make for their big movies or how much pop stars earn on their latest album. >> but "forbes" has an interesting list of the top earning dead celebrities. >> we're going to play a little game here. dylan can't play. she read ahead. >> i'm excluded from this game. >> it's pretty amazing. the top five earned $464 million in the last year. here's your first clue. we'll play some music and head to jamaica where lester has some roots. any ideas? >> that's an easy one. >> bob marley passed away in 1981. >> and still making all that money. >> $17 million last year along with the albums, the posters and the t-shirts. there's now marley beverage company. true or not true, if you're on a

desserted album, bob marley legend, the one album you'd want. >> i don't know. >> and you played bass in the whalers, right? coming in at number four. we'll start with a tune. see if you guys recognize it. >> charlie brown? >> yeah. charles schultz, the creator of peanuts. the next time you want to make fun of charlie brown, just know he is dripping in gucci. the estate raked in $37 million last year. let's move to number three. this one's pretty easy. elvis. elvis pulled in $55 million through his music and cirque du soleil show. some are saying elvis shouldn't be on this list because he was recently spotted outside a criskrispy kreme in utah. number two, michael jackson. pulled in $45 million.

number one, liz taylor. she pull in money from a record-breaking auction. >> perfume. >> and her big quote. big girls deserve big diamonds. >> i thought it would be michael jackson. we're back in a moment, but first this is "today" on nbc. mayor: casino owners in west virginia are spending

millions against question seven. that upsets me. and that upsets jonathan ogden. you don't want to upset

jonathan ogden. ogden: no you don't. mayor: question seven means thousands of jobs and millions for our schools. but these west virginia casinos want to keep it all for themselves. we're not happy about that. ogden: no we aren't. mayor: so join us and vote for question seven. and west virginia, don't make me send jonathan ogden over there. mayor: vote for question seven. ogden: for baltimore. ahead, justin timberlake known for his music, acting and having a sense of humor. now he's apologizing for a joke that sort of backfired. plus, three real women try to find a perfect pair of jeans. but first, these messages. billion dollars to help those affected and to cover cleanup costs. today, the beaches and gulf are open, and many areas are reporting their best tourism seasons in years. and bp's also committed to america. we support nearly 250,000 jobs and invest more here than anywhere else. we're working to fuel america for generations to come.

our commitment has never been stronger. ho w do edelicious hershey's chocolate with 30% less fat? new hershey's simple pleasures chocolate. 30% less fat, 100% delicious. -oh, that's just my buds. -bacon. -my taste buds. -[ taste buds ] donuts. how about we try this new kind of fiber one cereal? you think you're going to slip some fiber by us? okay. ♪ fiber one is gonna make you smile. ♪ [ male announcer ] introducing new fiber one nutty clusters and almonds. >> this is wbal-tv 11 news north dakota baltimore. >> good morning, everyone. i'm jennifer franciotti. the time right now is 8:25 and we'll get to our top stories in a moment but first we want to check with john collins on the progress of tropical storm sandy. >> sandy is still off the

florida coast coming this way, just a little weaker, 70 mile-an-hour winds, but beginning to throw clouds our way, high, thin clouds over us made for a beautiful sunrise this morning but the rains are down near cape hatteras. most of the day will be fine. the other element in the storm is the rain to the west associated with a cold front. that will stall for a while as the storm comes up. it's a point of indecision at this stage and we are caught in this vise between the two weather systems but they ultimately come in here with a bang it looks like next week. over the weekend, things are ok, especially today. not bad today. generally cloudy, showers late, east-northeast winds at 5 to 10, 60's for highs. seven-day forecast, periods of rain showers tomorrow but heaviest stuff monday and tuesday when we catch the winds. by tuesday, much colder. >> thank you, john. we are back in a moment with a look

>> welcome back, governor o'malley has declared a state of emergency in maryland ahead of tropical storm sandy and today he says he will activate the state's emergency operations center and is urging residents to act now before the storm hits. >> so there is going to be a period of having to ride this out so every family needs to become their own emergency management director, make sure that you have, you know, the flashlights, the radio, the ability to ride out what will probably be a very dangerous storm with heavy winds, lots of

downed trees and also lots and lots of water as this thing rolls through our vicinity. >> the state of emergency declaration also gives the the authority to deploy the maryland national guard to snowiest recovery efforts. area school systems making plans for tropical storm sandy. annapolis high school is set up as an emergency shelter for residents who could be displaced by the storm. the district is also trying to protect key information on its computer system in case of a power outage and school officials all over the state are monitoring the storm for possible closings and plan to use the internet and automated telephone systems to get word out to parents as soon as a decision is made. we thank you so much for joining us. 11 news saturday morning in 25 minutes.

and we are back on this saturday, october 27th. and this is an amazing crowd. getting ready for the storm. it's now a hurricane. hurricane sandy. stoill to come, we're going to talk about justin timberlake and why he's not bringing sexy back, but he's bringing sorry back. >> he is bringing sorry back. he's only been married a week. he's apologizing for something that happened at his wedding. we'll fill you in on that. and we'll also take a look at jeans. how many women struggle with this. you wouldn't know about this. >> guys struggle, too. >> so we're going to have something for every body type that i think will give some good tips out there for the ladies.

>> and the guys. but this is a women's thing. i get it. also coming i, we know how we get nickelled and dimed every time you travel. you want to pay a little more for the aisle seat, the window seat, a seat near the front. we'll tell you what other charges you can expect if you're heading out of town. and later, we'll show you how you can roll up your sleeves and make a difference. >> this is an important weekend. we'll tell you about that coming up. but first, let's get a check on the all-important weather. dylan is standing by to tell us more about this hurricane that's moving our way. >> it is back up to a hurricane right now. sandy still well out to sea. we'll watch as it moves closer to shore. we've got a 50th anniversary. happy anniversary to you, folks, and a 50th birthday to who? >> alicia. >> it's me. >> you're alicia. happy birthday. lots of celebrating on the plaza this morning. we are looking at this storm. to bring its outer bands to areas like the shores of north carolina into virginia later on today, that cold front is also

going to bring some showers to ohio, through western new york state, west virginia as well. it is cold in the upper plains. temperatures today only in the 30s and 40s. 50s through texas even. tomorrow in the pacific northwest, we are looking for heavy rains, some mountain snow. it does warm up in the plains states and we'll keep an eye on sandy. we'll see the rough surf, the >> the squeeze play will be evident on the weather map today. front from the west, sandy from the south and the forecast for today, a lot of clouds, rain holds off until the end of the

and we might be talking about sandy, but we are also talking about the saints and the broncos. tomorrow night is "sunday night football" night in america and we are headed out to denver. partly cloudy and cool. 49 to 53 degrees. should be a good game with perfect weather. you can always check out your latest forecast any time online at weather.com. andrea? >> thank you, dylan. a bizarre story. justin timberlake is apologizing for what he called a distasteful video congratulating him and his new wife jessica biel on their wedding. michelle franzen has the details. >> reporter: newlyweds justin timberlake and jessica biel didn't get much time to bask in the afterglow of their picture perfect nuptials before making headlines. in a way the couple didn't anticipate. a home video made by one of timberlake's friends as a joke featuring homeless people in los

angeles turned up on the internet before being taken down. >> justin, i haven't seen you in a long time. the gift is in the mail. >> jessica, it's me. >> reporter: and has turned out to be anything but funny for the pop star thanks to his friend. >> what he did was interview homeless people, drunk people, seemingly mentally ill people in the streets of los angeles and the joke was here your hollywood friends who miss you. >> reporter: talk of the video went viral on the internet, along with the backlash. timberlake quickly offered an apology to fans in a letter on his website calling the video distasteful. and added, "i am not defending the video." had no knowledge of its existence. and had absolutely zero contribution to it. he said his friends clearly had a lapse in judgment. >> again, i'm sure that joke seemed really funny when they came up with it, but once it's introduced to the light of day in a media environment that can be pretty unforgiving, it's a big embarrassment. i think justin handled it as well as he could.

>> reporter: timberlake and biel made it official last week, celebrating their wedding with friends in italy. before the controversial video emerged, the buzz was all about biel's choice of a pink wedding dress. now following timberlake's personal appeal to fans, the beaming couple is likely hoping they can go back to enjoying their new life as newlyweds. for "today," michelle franzen, nbc news, new york. >> we do wish them all the best on their marriage. up next, expect to pay more if you're traveling this holiday season. we'll have the details. but first, these messages. or tall. it's not all about who sparkles the most. or who is the best dressed. what nature really cares about is what you have to offer. like the stevia plant. small and humble with a surprising secret to share...

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it's time for a better breakfast i can't stop eating this make the switch look for jennie-o at a store near you now to some travel advice, maybe a warning if you haven't ventured away from home recently. brace yourself if you're hitting the road this holiday season, because no matter how hard you try to avoid them, you're almost certain to be hit by extra fees. here's tom costello. >> reporter: it doesn't matter if your great escape involves flying, a bon voyage, or a weekend getaway at a nice hotel. it's awfully hard to avoid getting socked paying for stuff

that used to be free. >> charging for bags is kind of like going to restaurant and them charging me for silverware. >> the upgrade your seat fee just to reserve a seat on the plane that you already paid for. >> a sense of always have been to dish out more and more. >> reporter: depending on which airline you fly, there's the baggage fee, the carry on fee, the in-flight meal fee, the aisle seat fee, the talk to a real person fee, and families can be charged more for sitting together. >> which means that families who want to sit next to their 5-year-old have to pay these additional costs that they weren't expecting in order to seat the family together. it's really outrageous. >> reporter: for the airlines, the fees are a cash cow, more than $22 million last year, according to "usa today," helping to put airlines back in the black. and guess who's noticed. the already fee-heavy cruise line industry. they're now charging more for boarding early, priority dinner seating, even champagne and

lobster now often costs more. did we mention hotels in the wi-fi fee, the parking fee, the pool and gym fee, luggage storage fee, the early checkout fee. >> the early checkout fee just really ticks me off. and now the early return on the rental car fee just ticks me off. it's ridiculous. >> reporter: so what's a family to do? >> know up front what you are paying for. it's all listed out for you online. so at least you'll be prepared, that you'll be experiencing these fees. >> reporter: if you're a member of an airline or a hotel loyalty program, you may avoid some fees, but the days of freebies may be long gone. for "today," tom costello, nbc news, washington. up next, finding the best jeans to flatter your figure. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

what woman hasn't struggled trying to find the perfect pair of jeans? we all know how hard that can be. so jackie stafford is here to help us with that. we have three women who have been struggling a little bit. so we're going to help them. the first one is karen. and she struggles with the dreaded mom jean, right? >> so many of us have that problem. >> no one wants to wear the mom jean. remember jessica simpson, how terrible that was? anyway, let's take a look at karen and we'll show you her transformation. >> my name is karen, i'm 46 years old, i'm a mother of four girls, and the biggest problem i have with buying jeans is the fact that the rise is so low that my underwear hangs out when i'm bigger. i'm petite, so i need something shorter, which is really hard to find. >> we are going to have the perfect solution. >> jackie, how about these? >> i'll show you why not. i know so many moms love the baggie boyfriend jean, but to be honest, they just look sloppy and they're not doing anything

for your figure. >> after having four kids, i'm nervous about putting on tighter jeans. >> so let's find you some color. >> i never thought i'd wear color. >> if you're over 40, i always say go for a more muted shade rather than bright neon because they can skew younger. >> so that's karen. how were you able to find a pair of jeans that really fit karen's petite figure? >> we wanted to make sure that we went for something in the petite's department. you always want to look specifically in the petites department. and also at the color as well. here she is. >> she looks so great. >> i know that she thought she'd never, ever wear color. so these jeans particularly are by nydj. they have the patented lift tuck technology. they are skinny in the leg, the skinny petite legging. petite is important because it gives you that right knee placement as well. it's a perfect length for her. we got the color. a lot of women are nervous about

color. but those are the darker shades. the eggplant. the chocolate. >> i love color jeans. they're so in right now. those do not look like mom jeans. >> they're the anti-mom jean. >> thank you, karen. next up is tanetta. eu your challenge for her was finding a good fit for all her of her curves. >> my name is tanetta. my biggest problem is finding something to fit over my thighs and my bottom area, but that will be small enough to fit my waist. >> the thing is if you're trying to down play a heavier bottom half, you want to go for more of a slenderizing boot cut bottom. you want a slightly lighter shading down the center panel, because this makes your legs look slimmer just because of the optical illusion. no, no, no. this is not the right silhouette for you. want to create more of an

hourglass silhouette. balance off the bottom half. and i know you're going to have another problem with those pants. there's about a four-inch gap here. >> so how were you able to really find something that facility her body like a glove? >> you want to make sure that you're fitting the waist as well as bottom area. so what you ideally want to look for something is something that has a slight boot cut. you want to go for a nice uniform dark wash. these ones. they look quite professional. the great thing about a dark wash is you can take it to the office and wear a jacket over it. she is a professional, so she wants something she can look great in at the office. a nice, clean dark boot cut. keep the hem long. always want the original hem on your pants. >> that's a good tip. you can tell when it's not the original. >> have the original hem put on the bottom of your pant. keep the hem long. we found these at target, $28, which is a great price. they were relatively small in the waist as well, so they

accommodated a smaller waist and a rounder bottom half. >> those are very slimming. they look great. so our last one is tessie. let's take a look at her story. >> my name is sophia smith. the most frustrating thing is finding a nice fit for my thighs. i have a lot of muscle, so i want to find something that slims them down. >> the wash is too light for her. the slent is a kind of awkward length. no pocket. you want to look for the mid placement of pockets. this looks like a wide expansive bum. >> i love these. >> so remember, every time you do whiskering, it's drawing attention to the part of your body that you don't want. you want to look for a darker uniform wash. it helps slenderize your leg. >> what's the best look for her?

>> the best look for her is like a cropped flare. the reason i love these so much is they have the four-way stretch so they're going to retain their shape. she's a dancer. you can tell. she has the muscular thigh. rather than going for a skinny bottom, we wanted to do a tiny little bit of a flare at the bottom there with a crop, so you can wear a crop. some fabulous heels. it's a great leg for her. the little pep as well gives her the extra shape, gives the curve, brings out the top half of the body. look how she looks phenomenal in those jeans. >> i'm sorry, but her butt looks amazing. >> amazing. pocket placement, it's very important to get the great pockets on those jeans, because the mid pocket will give your bottom half the perfect perky shape. >> when you find a pair of jeans, hang on to them. i've had these for ten years. hang on. >> you buy a pair that you hem with heels and a pair that you hem for flats.

>> thank you for being here. mom jeans are not as beautiful. i had to say that really quickly. coming up, how you can make a difference in your community. we'll have that next. the not so pretty truth about their body washes. i wouldn't change. [ female announcer ] this test paper was designed to react like your skin. if other body washes can strip this paper, imagine how harsh they can be to your skin. oh my gosh. [ female announcer ] new dove is different. its new breakthrough formula changes everything with the blend of gentle cleansers and nourishing nutrium moisture. so what do you think now? definitely switching to dove. [ female announcer ] this is new. this is different. this is care.

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today is not just any saturday. it's the 22nd annual make a difference day. >> miriam is here. tell us beaut the largest day of volunteering. tell us more about it. even matt and savannah are involved in this? >> yes, actually, they've all been telling us what inspires them to give back, which is great. about 22 years ago in 1992, we actually asked our readers on a leap year what they would do to give back to somebody else with that extra day and that's how it started. so now 22 years later, we get three million americans out to actually help somebody else on this day, the fourth saturday in october every year. >> people have been registering to do this. how can folks get into all this? >> you can still register. go to makeadifferenceday.com. you can type in your zip code and find an activity that's going on today. or you can organize your friends and family to find some way to give back this afternoon. if you do, make sure you register your activity because you can actually win a chance to

get $10,000 for a charity of your choice. >> what are some of the activities people can get involved in? >> we're leaving you today to go to eisenhower park, to work with let all the children play so they can play alongside other children so. we're going out there to get that playground ready for the spring. in arizona, the diamondbacks are actually organizing the longest paper doll -- to break the "guinness book of world records." >> andrea is wearing her jeans, so she is ready. >> only a few minutes to get ready. i would put her right to work right away. >> why not? >> come on down. >> thanks so much. >> thank you for having us. >> that's going to do it for us on a saturday morning. tomorrow, i'm headed to virginia for a look at where the presidential election stands in an important battleground state. >> stay safe. it's been such a pleasure and an honor to be here today. thank you, guys. >> take care, everyone.

>> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning and welcome to 11 news saturday morning, i'm jennifer franciotti. >> i'm lisa robinson. let's get to our continuing konk of tropical storm sandy, now hurricane again sandy and meteorologist john collins. talkingmorning we were about how the storm was downgraded to a tropical storm and i said it would probably go back and forth between tropical storm and hurricane over the next day or two. it's back up to a hurricane with 75 mile-an-hour winds. and the radar is showing only part of the rain, occurring with the storm because most of the storm is offshore and the rain is out of range but the rains are reaching all the way up to hatteras right now and the clouds we have overhead this morning are pushed up this way

by sandy so we are getting involved at least with the high, thin cloud deck from sandy. the rain will be a while. there's also a front west to, you can see rain associated with that. both of those elements will be coming in here and we'll definitely know when it arrives. i'll talk more about it coming up. >> it's 8:57, our live team coverage of sandy is just getting started. >> i'm sarah sampson reporting live in ocean city where residents are preparing for the storm. >> you can see the wind has kicked up in o.c. and with sandy expected to pass heavy winds and rain, how is b.g.e. preparing? we will check in live. >> how to throw a fun halloween party on a budget when we return.

>> you're watching wbal-tv 11, live, local, late breaking. this is 11 news saturday morning. [captioning made possible by group]lation energy >> a state of emergency has been declared for every county in maryland as we are bracing for the effects of now hurricane sandy. welcome to 11 news saturday morning, everyone, i'm lisa robinson. >> and i'm jennifer franciotti. this super storm could hit anywhere from north carolina to new england and in the coming days it's all hands on deck. days it's all hands on deck. >> earlier this morning, it